The door was the first thing that caught our attention at the Lavirotte Building. A door so beautiful that we decided to name it the most beautiful door in Paris, unofficially. But, once we got home from our trip, we reviewed our pictures and decided to research the building. This research leads us to learn about the work of architect Jules Lavirotte.
We have a thing for Art Nouveau and the beautiful architecture that comes out of this style. So we were thrilled when we stumbled upon the Lavirotte Building during our last visit to Paris in the winter of 2017.
Fast forward a few years, and here we are, finally writing something about this gorgeous piece of the French capital.
The Lavirotte Building is an apartment building in the heart of Paris, on 29 Avenue Rapp in the 7th arrondissement. Built between 1899 and 1901, it was designed by architect Jules Lavirotte, and it’s one of the best examples of Art Nouveau that survived the years in the city. The facade is the main element here, decorated with ceramic tiles and incredible sculptures. It even won the award of the most original new facade in the 7th arrondissement, all the way back in 1901.
But this wasn’t the first building the Jules Lavirotte designed in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. He also created a private residence and another apartment building where he used to live. These construction projects were presented with the same fantasy aesthetics of the Art Nouveau found at the Lavirotte Building and made the architect famous.
But the building isn’t famous just for its gorgeous exterior. The architect used several innovations in the construction of the Lavirotte Building. Some of them included an early version of reinforced concrete!
The Facade of the Lavirotte Building
However, the most important and beautiful feature of this building is the facade. A facade so gorgeous that it was awarded and catapulted the work of architect Jules Lavirotte to fame in 1901.
From the street level, the facade isn’t that decorated, and it’s only when you look up that you can see how the design evolves in the upper floors. The windows are richly sculpted, and the upper floors are entirely faced with coloured ceramic tiles that present animal and vegetal themes.
The most beautiful door in Paris is decorated with iron lizard and crowned with a centrepiece of a woman’s head. According to some, the face belongs to painter Jane de Montchenu, who was the wife of Lavirotte. But we will never know for sure if this is true or not.
After a few minutes of documenting the facade with our cameras, we noticed some elements that almost looked erotic to us. There are some phallic shapes all around; other figures point towards the female anatomy, but… We might be seeing things where they don’t exist. But, whenever you are in town, go looking for the most beautiful door in Paris and let us know if you also see it.
According to our research, the interior of the building also carries features in the art nouveau style but in a more subdued way. But we will never know since we weren’t able to enter the building.
Another highlight of the Lavirotte Building is the gorgeous view of the Eiffel Tower that the building has. This is how we managed to find it. After visiting the tower, we went for a walk, looking for a different angle to capture it. And we managed to see one of the best examples of Paris architecture in the Belle Époque. So beautiful that the Lavirotte building was listed as a historic monument in 1964.
If you want to visit the Lavirotte Building and the most beautiful door in Paris, you have to check the map below, and that is it. Take the pictures you want but with respect since people live there.
The Most Beautiful Door in Paris is the one in the Lavirotte Building
29 Av. Rapp, 75007 Paris, France
